Too busy to blog in the last month, what with Chelsea Fringe walk, HPS lecture day and mad backlog of work, today is a brief (World Cup) highlights’ package of the last month. Now the football is on, I can’t see myself having much more time to write for a while either. What will come first, England’s first win or a drenching downpour for our gardens?
Check out The Propagator’s blog, for more of the same if you really don’t want to garden or watch football: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/six-on-saturday-16-06-2018/
- Spider crossing a Paeony. I was just lucky to catch this moment. I love the slightly sinister contrast between spider and soft petal, with a glimpse of anther inside.
2. Single white opium poppy. I sowed a few of these in March and wondered whether they would be worth the effort of transplanting. They were. Just love the simplicity and purity of a single form. I have another deep purple one coming into bloom soon. If you want the pure stains, you have to sow from reliable seed. I chucked a handful of mixed seed in a bed outside Walthamstow Town Hall two years ago and they are a sight right now. Muddy purple and varied, but glorious. Hundreds of them, like an Afghan field. The simple purity of a refined stain is hard to beat though for sophistication.
3. Tagetes Cinnabar. So velvety, I want to roll around in the petals and rub them over myself. I haven’t actually done that, don’t worry.
4. A group of potted Agave sit in the protection of my porch over Winter to keep the rain off. For Summer they go to their owners courtyard in Bethnal Green. They get dust and cobwebs and leaves and grit between their leaves, so before they go I wash them, dust them and vacuum them. With those wicked spikes, it is a job to take slowly and carefully. They contain more than a bit of my dna! I do not want to roll around in them and rub them over myself. I am just not made that way.
5. Garden I am pleased with. Alchemilla, Echium, Salvia, Nepeta, Stipa gigantia, Crocosmia Lucifer.
Cheeky request for help. I cannot id this tree/large shrub. The leaves are similar to Magnolia grandiflora, without the brown underside. It has been there 20 years and never flowered (reportedly, I am not sure about this), looks to be evergreen, is about 5m tall. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Tim Hewitt, Gardener 
Wow the white poppy is so beautiful! I’m glad you included that one. Do you have any more close ups of your mystery plant?
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Hi, Nat, no I don’t . It is a prospective new client’s garden. A lovely house they have bought. If I knew how hard it would be to identify, I would have taken better photos. I have been through my books and looked online. I go back there in a month.
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Have you tried any of the plant ID apps? They might give you some ideas. I’m not great at plant ID so I use these occassionally to cheat. Not always right but can at least give some ideas where to start.
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The very idea of vacuuming a plant had me smiling. The Tagetes cinnabar is a beautiful thing with those gold edged petals.
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It is a weird thing to do, but needs must!
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What beautiful pictures ! Those of the tagete cinnabar, the spider and also the agave one are my favorite
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Coming from you, Fred, that is high praise indeed!
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I’m not a (professional) photographer but I really enjoy seeing nice ones! Have a good weekend Tim
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That agave does indeed look evil!
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Pretty white poppy – did you sow indoors or out? Slugs got all of my carefully tended opium poppy seedlings when I planted them out!
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I sowed inside, hardened off, then planted out. Lost a few, but most survived.
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Ooh its a tough one. Footie or the garden. I think ill compromise and listen to it on the radio while I potter about. England matches I will be ensconced on sofa, obligatory beer in hand.
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Nice one, come on England.
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Eriobotrya? for your ID puzzler.
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Thanks, Jim, I will check that out.
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Jim, you are spot on, I reckon. It all fits, the leaf, the size, the never fruiting. Thanks a lot. I am going to crown lift and thin it to see how it looks.
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I love the white poppy – never seen one quite like it. Seems well worth the effort!
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